Hydrofluoric toxicity

Precautions in Handling. Ammonium bifluoride, like all soluble fluorides, is toxic if taken internally. Hydrofluoric acid bums may occur if the material comes in contact with moist skin. Ammonium bifluoride solutions should be thoroughly washed from the skin with mildly alkaline soap as soon as possible however, if contact has been prolonged, the affected areas should be soaked with 0.13% solution of Zephiran chloride, or 0.2% Hyamine 1622 (Lonza, Inc.) or calcium gluconate, the treatment recommended for hydrofluoric acid bums. If any of these solutions come in contact with the eyes, they should be washed with water for at least 10 min and a physician should be consulted. 

Experimentation with test animals and laboratory and plant experience indicate that the fluorophosphoric acids are less toxic and dangerous than hydrogen fluoride (58). However, they contain, or can hydrolyze to, hydrofluoric acid and must be treated with the same care as hydrofluoric acid. Rubber gloves and face shields are essential for all work with these acids, and full mbber dress is necessary for handling larger quantities. The fumes from these acids contain HF. 

Toxicity. Sulfur tetrafluoride has an inhalation toxicity comparable to phosgene. The current OSHA standard maximum allowable concentration for human exposure in air is 0.4 mg/m (TWA) (54). On exposure to moisture, eg, on the surface of skin, sulfur tetrafluoride Hberates hydrofluoric acid and care must be taken to avoid bums. One case of accidental exposure of electrical workers to decomposed SF gas containing SF has been cited (108). 

Handling and Toxicity. Tungsten hexafluoride is irritating and corrosive to the upper and lower airways, eyes, and skin. It is extremely corrosive to the skin, producing bums typical of hydrofluoric acid. The OSHA permissible exposure limits is set as a time-weighted average of 2.5 mg/kg or 0.2 ppm (22). 

Hydrofluoric acid [7664-39-3] M 20.0, b 112.2"(aq azeotrope, 38.2% HF), d 1.15 (47-53% HF), pK 3.21. Freed from lead (Pb ca 0.002ppm) by co-precipitation with Srp2, by addition of lOmL of 10% SrCl2 soln per kilogram of the cone acid. After the ppte has settled, the supernatant is decanted through a filter in a hard-rubber or paraffin lined-glass vessel [Rosenqvist Am J Sci 240 358 1942. Pure aqueous HF solutions (up to 25M) can be prepared by isothermal distn in polyethylene, polypropylene or platinum apparatus [Kwestroo and Visser Analyst 90 297 7965]. HIGHLY TOXIC. 

Chemical Reactivity - Reactivity with Water Reacts vigorously to form toxic hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) Reactivity with Common Materials When moisture is present, causes severe corrosion of metals (except steel) and glass. If confined and wet can cause explosion. May cause fire in contact with combustible material Stability During Transport Stable Neutralizing Agents for Acids and Caustics Flush with water, rinse with sodium bicarbonate or lime solution Polymerization Not pertinent Inhibitor of Polymerization Not pertinent. 

Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid react with substances containing silica and silicon oxide to form silicon tetrafluoridc and fluorosilic acid. SiF, a colorless gas at ambient temperature, is liighly toxic. An equilibrium mixture of SiF in the presence of moisture also contains hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid. 

Hydrolysis products GF s hydrolysis products, hydrofluoric and cyclohexyl-methylphosphonic acids, are less toxic than their parent compound. 

As a result of variation shown in toxicity, the evaluation of technologies applicable for discharge control, and treatment by some compounds within the industrial chemicals, the SIC 281 groups are further subdivided into 11 subcategories.23 They are aluminum fluoride, chlor-alkali, chrome pigments, copper sulfate, hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, nickel sulfate, sodium bisulfate, sodium... 

It is reported that an aluminium cleaner containing low concentrations of hydrofluoric acid can generate stibine from antimony containing bearing-metal alloys, to the permanent detriment of the health of nearby workers. Presumably arsine could appear from arsenic containing alloys both are gases and extremely toxic. 

Event 3 Toxic Release (hydrofluoric acid vapor cloud)—Refinery. Marathon Refinery, Texas City, Texas (October 30, 1987). 4,000 people evacuated and more than 1,000 treated for injuries (Health and Safety Executive [UK] 2008a). 

Workers exposed to an airborne fluoride concentration of 5mg/m complained of eye and respiratory tract irritation and nausea. The lethal oral dose of sodium fluoride for humans has been estimated to be 32-65 mg F/kg of body weight. Effects from ingestion are diffuse abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting excessive salivation, thirst, and perspiration painful spasms of the limbs and sometimes albuminuria." Gastrointestinal effects produced after the acute ingestion of toxic amounts of fluoride likely arise from the corrosive action of hydrofluoric acid, which is produced within the acidic environment of the stomach. Cardiac arrest after accidental exposure to high levels of fluoride has been attributed to the development of hypocalcemia and/or hyperkalemia. ... 

CAUTION Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is highly toxic and corrosive, and severely irritating to the respiratory system and eyes All operations should be performed in a well-ventilated fume hood using appropriate safety precautions and procedures. 

Fluorine was discovered in electrochemical experiments conducted by Henri Moissan [18, 19] in 1886. He discovered that solutions of KF in HF remain liquid and electrically conducting even at ambient temperatures and during electrolysis, he was able to isolate fluorine as a pale yellow gas for the first time. Fluorine as well as hydrofluoric acid are highly toxic and should be handled only with extreme care [20]. 

Coboltous Fluoride or Cobalt Difluoride, C0F2, mw 96.94, red-rose crysts or powd, mp ca 1200°, bp 1400° sol in cold w Sr hydrofluoric acid decomp xn hot w highly toxic iintant. 

Hydrofluoric add is a particular illustration because it assodates the elementary mechanism of the add and the mechanism of a chelation causing a major toxic effect. 

Recent work done on physical vapor barriers was performed by the Industrial Cooperative HF Mitigation/Assessment Program (ICHMAP) (Petersen and Radcliff, 1989). This program studied the effects of vapor fences and vapor boxes. The primary objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of these devices to retard the transport and to dilute heavier-than-air (HTA) releases of a toxic material like hydrofluoric acid (HF). Because vapor barriers could also see releases of flammable materials, an effort was made to determine their impact on the consequences of a vapor cloud explosion. 

In industrial practice, two liquid acids are employed as catalysts for isobutane/ butene alkylation, namely sulfuric acid and hydrofluoric acid [3, 19, 20]. Both processes deliver a high-quality gasoline component. The catalyst consumption in the H2S04 process is high, typically 70-100kg/t The spent sulfuric acid contains tarry hydrocarbons and water and has to be processed externally. On the other hand, corrosiveness and toxicity of HF are reasons of concern that require use of additives that lower the HF vapor pressure and minimize the amount of HF released in the case of an accident. However, in many industrialized countries, new HF alkylation processes are no longer approved by authorities. 

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